NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The 2010 Yale softball season has
already had its share of eventful moments. It began a day later
than expected because of torrential rain in normally sunny Florida.
Kayla Kuretich had her bid for a no-hitter ended by ground ball
single in the seventh inning against Marist, and most recently,
Yale saw a 9-3 lead go for naught when the game had to be stopped
after four innings because of darkness. All of that, though, gets
forgotten now as Yale prepares for its Ivy League openers this
weekend. The Bulldogs play doubleheaders at Columbia on Friday and
at Penn on Saturday. The action on both days begins at 2 p.m.

Yale (4-11) struggled offensively early in the year but has been
better of late. The Bulldogs banged out 16 hits in only four
innings on Wednesday against Fairfield. Meg Johnson and Christy
Nelson both homered before the game was called. Yale has scored at
least three runs in five of its last seven games, not including the
second Fairfield game. Ashley Sloan leads the way with a .294
average. Nelson (.282), Johnson (.279) and Lauren Huddleston (.278)
have also been hitting well. Huddleston is batting .462 in her last
four games.

Kuretich has anchored a pitching staff that has been very
consistent. She leads the team in earned run average (2.15),
innings (42.1) and strike outs (44). Holly Gutterud (2.90 ERA) and
freshman Jackie Manzer (3.00 ERA) have been strong as well.

Columbia (5-14) hasn’t played since an 8-5 loss to
Manhattan last Saturday. Alison Lam, who was named the Ivy League
Rookie of the Week on Tuesday, leads the team with a .344 average.
Dani Pineda has three of Columbia’s four home runs. Maureen
O’Kane (4.41 ERA) and Maggie Johnson (5.25 ERA) have seen a
majority of the action in the circle.

Penn features a potent offense. The Quakers have scored at least
six runs in a game five times this season. Brooke Coloma (.400),
Keiko Uraguchi (.365) and Jessica Arneson (..324) lead the way.
Chelsea Ott (2.24 ERA) anchors the pitching staff.

Yale swept a doubleheader from Columbia last year at Dewitt
Family Field but got swept by Penn the next day.